Joburg wants assets from fired workers
130 workers fight for reinstatement
The City of Joburg 130 have been ordered to return cellphones and laptops issued by the City. On Friday, Joburg acting group executive director for corporate and shared services Hennie Labuschagne wrote to the affected employees demanding they return the tools of trade.
The letter, seen by Sowetan, said: “The City wishes to confirm that on or about the 30th April 2022, your fixed-term contract of employment terminated by effluxion of time.
“The City, in its capacity as your employer, issued communication to return the tools of trade. You have by conduct or omission refused to return the tools of trade issued to yourself by the City.”
Labuschagne wrote that cellphones be returned by no later than today.
The 130 were initially employed as political support staff in the city but their contracts were later converted by the previous administration, which was led by the ANC, so that they became permanent.
On February 25, the multiparty coalition government led by the DA rescinded the conversion of the contracts from permanent back to fixed-term contracts.
According to their original agreements, the contracts expired at the end of April.
One employee who did not want to be named said a legal process was still underway, adding that it was still premature for the City to demand the devices be returned.
In April, Bargaining Council commissioner Joseph Mphaphuli dismissed the application for alleged unfair dismissal, arguing the contracts of the City of Joburg 130 were to expire at the end of April, thus ruling out the possibility they were unfairly dismissed.